Clamping apparatus for shoe heels



NW. 18, 1930. A. F. KOEPPE 1,781,690

CLAMPING APPARATUS FOR SHOE HEELS Filed July is, 1927 l/VVENTOR Patented Nov. 18, 1930 UNITED sT-Arss arsnr OFFICE ALBERT r. KOEPPE, or s'r. LOUIS, MISSOURI 1 CLAMPING APPARATUS FOR SHOE HEELS Application filed July 18,

adapted for use in the operation of attaching high heels and which is of such design that it insures the rear end portion of the heel being held tightly against the heel seat of the shoe sole. Y a

Another object of the invention is to provide a heel clamping apparatus in which the cooperating clamping members that hold the heel in engagement with the shoe sole are removably combinedwith the means of the apparatus that is used to draw said clamping members towards each other, thereby making it possible to clamp the heel to the sole, lock '20 the clamping members in adjusted position and thereafter bodily removing the shoe from the apparatus without altering the pressure which the clamping members exert on the heel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heel clamping apparatus of the kind just referred to which is of suchconstruction that both hands of the operator are free to be used in the operation of positioning and temporarily holding the heel between the sole of the shoe and the means that exerts clamping pressure on the heel.

Another object is to provide a shoe heel clamp, which, after being combined with a shoe to clamp the heel to the sole, will not interfere with the handling of the shoe, thereby enabling other operations to be formed on the shoe while the glue or cement used to attach the heel "to the'sole is setting or drying.

And still another'object' of the invention is to provide a shoe heel clamp which is of such construction that the pressure which is exerted on the heel can be concentrated either at the front end or at the rear end of the heel.

lustrating how the apparatus is used to clamp looking in the direction 1927. Serial No..206,582. I

a shoe heel to the sole of the shoe of which the heel forms apart.

Figure 2' is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

rows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, illustrating the movable member of the clamp equipped with an adjustable device for increasingthe pressure on the rear end portion of the heel; and

indicated by the ar- Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line 4- 1- of Figure 1.

My improved heel clamping apparatus is intended to be used principally in the operationof gluing orcementing a wooden heel w to the sole of a womans shoe y while said shoe is mounted on a last 2.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention the apparatus is illustrated as comprising a heel clamp composed of a clamping member A and a co-operating clamping member B, a supporting structure G of any suitable kind on which the'clamping member A. is adapted shown as a frame that is attached to a Work bench D- In the form of my invention herein illustrated the clamping member A is stationary and consists of a fiat or platelike device provided adjacent its front end with a hole 1, shown in broken lines in Figure 1, thatis in longitudinal alignment with a hole 1 in the last that isused to mount the last on a supporting pin in performing operations on the shoe 3 during the process of manufacturing the same. The clamping member Bis 'movable' and isprovided with a vertically-disposed shank 2 that projects downwardly through a hole 31in the stationary clamping member that aligns with a hole 3 in the supporting frame C,'said shank being provided at its upper end with a forwardlyprojecting and downwardly inclined portion4 that is adapted to engagethe top lift of the heel m and which is disposed at an angle to the stationary clamping member A. As shown in Figure 1, the upper half of the shank 2 is inclined forwardly slightly so that it will be disposed substantially parallel to the breast of the heel w, or, in other words, will stand at such an angle relatively to the sole of the shoe that when the shank 2 is drawn downwardly, the top liftengaging portion 4- of the movable clamping member will exert a direct thruston theheel in a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the heel, and thus force the heel squarely against the entire area of the heel seat portion of the sole of the shoe.

:The means previously referred to that is used to move one clamping member towards the other clamping member consists of a link E attached at its lower end to a foot treadle F and provided at its upper end with a hook 5 that is adapted to engage a notch or recess 6, formed in the front side of the shank 2 adjacent the lower end of same. Normally, the link E is held in an elevated positionwith the hook 5 of same positioned above the notch 6, by a spring 7 as shown in broken lines in Figure 1. After the movable heel clamping member B has been drawn downwardly towards the stationary heel clamping member A by depressing the treadle F, said clampingmembers are locked in adjusted position by a set screw or other device 9 on the stationary clamping member A whose inner end proj ects into an elongated groove 9 in the shank 2 of the movable clamping member B, as shown in broken lines in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 4, such a holding means being desirable, in thatit prevents the two parts or members of the clamp from becoming disassembled or completely separated when the clamp is not in use.

After the heel 00 has been clamped to the sole of the shoe, by drawing the movable clamping member B downwardly and looking said clamping member by tightening the set screw 9, as above described, the operator releases the foot treadle F, whereupon the link E will move upwardly under the influence of the spring 7. During the upward movement of said link the upper end of same comes into engagement with a cam 10 on the supporting frame C, which is so shaped that it will cause the upper end of the link Ev to move forwardly, and thus arranged the hook 5 on said link at a point in front of the holes 8 and 3 in the supportin frameC and in the stationary clamping mem er A through which the shank 2 of the movable clamping member projects downwardly, thereby insuring the heel clamp being disengaged from the means that is used to actuate said heel clamp. If desired, the link E can be provided adjacent its upper end with a rearwardly-projecting shelf or support 11 that is arranged in longitudinal alignment with the hole 8* in the supporting frame C and which serves as a support for the lower end of the link 2 before the heel a: has been arranged in operative position between the sole of the shoe and the top lift engaging portion 4 of the movable clamping member B.

In using the apparatus to clamp a heel that is being glued or cemented to the sole of a shoe mounted on a last, the stationary clamping member A is combined with the movable clamping member B by inserting the shank 2 of the member B through the hole 3 in "the member A. Said assembled clamp is then mounted in position on the supporting frame C with the shank projecting downwardly through the hole 3 in said frame, and the last a wit-h the shoe 1 mounted on same is then positioned onthe stationary clamping member A with the sole of the shoe presented upwardly. Thereafter, the shoe heel w is arranged in operative position between the heel seat portion of the sole of the shoe and the top lift engaging portion 4 of the clamping member B, it being possible to accurate ly position the heel because both hands of the operator are free to be used to position the heel on the sole of the shoe. While the operators hands are holding the heel in operative position on the sole of the shoe, the foot treadle F is depressed, so as to cause the link E to engage the shank 2 of the movable clamping member B and move said shank downwardly, thus causing tne portion 4 on same to exert a. direct longitudinal thrust on the heel 01 and force, it tightly against the heel seat portion of the sole. After the heel has been drawn downwardly tightly against the sole, the set screw 9 in the stationary clamping member is tightened so as to lock the two co-operating members of the clamp in adjusted position. As soon as the operator releases the foot treadle F, the link E will move upwardly out of engagement with the shank 2 of the movable clamping member B, thereby permitting the clamping members A and B and the shoe and shoe heel with which they co-operate to be bodily removed from the supporting frame C. During the time the glue or cement is setting the clamping members A and B are maintained in locked engagement with the shoe last and shoe heel, and as the clamping members A and B are very compact, they do not materially interfere with the handling of the shoe, thus making it practicable to perform .c

other operations on the shoe during the time the adhesive used to connect the heel to the sole is setting or hardening. Preferably, the clamping members A and B are constructed of aluminum or aluminum alloy, so that said members will not add materially to the weight of the shoe, and thus become a burden in the event other operations are performed on the shoe when the clamp is in use.

The clamp is constructed in such a manher that the downward pressure which is excated b the reference character a so as to enable the downward pressure which said portion exerts on the heel to be concentrated either. on the front end portion, or on the rear end portion of the heel by shifting the heel forwardly or rearwardly relatively to the clamping member B that acts on the same.

it In order to insure the clamping member B exerting downward pressure on the heel in such a way as to force the rear end portion of said heeltightly'against the sole of'the shoe and hold it in snug engagement with same while the adhesive is setting or hardening, the shank 2 of the movable clamping member is provided with an auxiliary clamping device G that projects forwardly from said shank and bears against the rear side of the heel adjacentthepoint where said ed so that it can be adjusted easily to adapt it to heels of difi'erent shape, and accordingly, in Figure 81 have illustrated a slight modification of my invention, wherein the auxiliary clamping device is designated as an entirety by the reference character G, and

is composed of a substantially Y-shaped portion 12 that straddles the rear side of the heel, and a screw-threaded shank 13 that passes through an inclined, internallythreaded hole in the shank 2,.the inner end of said screw-threaded shank being connected by a ball and socket joint 1 1- with the portion 12 of the device that engages the heel, so as to cause the portion 12 to exert pressure on the heel in a direction tending to force it tightly against the sole when the shank ,18 is turned in one direction.

While I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in an apparatus that is intended to be used principally for clamping a shoe heel to the sole of a shoe while the glue or cement used to attach the heel to the sole is setting, I wish it to be understood that my broad idea is applicable to an apparatus used for clamping other objects, that comprises a clamp which is adapted to be applied to the object, and an operating mechanism for actuating said clamp removably combined with the movable clamping member of the clamp.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe heel clamping apparatus, comprising a supporting means, a stationary clamping member adapted to be mounted on said supporting means beneath a shoe, a movable clamping member adapted to be arranged in engagement with the heel that is positioned on the sole of said shoe, a shank on said movable member projecting 'downwardly through a holein said stationary member, a means removably combined with said shank for drawing said clamping members together soas to force the heel tightly against the sole of theshoe, comprising a treadle operated link provided at its upper end with a hook that is adapted to engage a part on said shank when said link is moved downwardly, and means for disengaging said hook from said shank when said link moves upwardly.

2. A shoe heel clamping apparatus, com.- prising a sup'portingstructure, a stationary clamping member adapted to be positioned on said structure, a movable clamping member provided witha shank that projects downwardly through aligned holes in said stationary clamping member and supporting structure, a treadle operated link arranged under the part of said structure on which said stationary clamping member is positioned and provided at its upper end with a hook, a notch in said shank for receiving said hook, means for causing said hook to engage said notch when the link is moved down wardly, and means for insuring disengagement of said hook and notch when the link moves upwardly. V

3. A shoe heel clamp, composed of two cooperating members adapted to be arranged in opposedrelation to clamp a shoe heel in operative position on the sole of a shoe, theclamping member that engages the heel having a shank disposed at the rear side of the heel in substantially parallel relationship to the breast of the heel, a top lift engaging portion on said shank disposed at. an angle to the other clamping member, and a means that co-acts 'with said shank during the clamping operation to bodily move said shank in a direction to clamp the heel tightly against the sole.

4t. shoe heel cla np,-composed of two cooperating members adapted to be removably mounted on a support and then actuated to cause opposed portions, of said members to clamp a heel to the sole of a shoe, the clamping member that engages the heel having a shank arranged at the rear sideof the heel and positionedin a hole in the other clamping member, a portion on said shank that is adapted to engage the endor top lift of the heel, ameans carried by. said shank that is adapted to bear against the rearside of the heel adjacentthe sole of the shoe, and a de-' vice-in the member through which the shank passes thatis adapted to be engaged with the shank to hold said members in clamped position after they have been removed from the suppOrt on which they were positioned during the clamping operation.

5. A shoe heel clamp, composed of two cooperating members adapted to be arranged in opposed relation to clamp a heel to'the sole of a shoe, one of said members having an engaging surface that is convexed for the purpose of permitting the shoe and heel to be shifted suficiently relatively to said members to cause the pressure on the heel to be concentrated either on the front end portion or rear end portion of the heel.

6. A shoe heel clamp, composed of a stationary member removably mounted on a support and adapted to engage arlast positioned in a shoe, a movable member adapted to engage the heel of the shoe and provided with a shank that projects through a hole in the stationary member, a retaining device in said stationary member, and an elongated groove in said shank that receives the end ofv said retaining device, and permits said shank to move relatively to the stationary member during the operation of clamping the heel to the shoe sole, said device being adapted to be forced tightly against said shank so as to hold said members in clamped position after they have been removed from i the support on which the stationary member is removably mounted.

7. A shoe heel clamping apparatus, comprising a support, a clamp operating means mounted on said support, a clamp comprising co-operating members constructed to eX- ert a direct longitudinal thrust on a shoe heel in a direction to force said heel tightly against the heel seat portion of a shoe sole on which said heel is positioned, the co-operating members of said clamp being removably mounted i on said support and .detachably combined with said clamp operating means whereby said clamp and the shoe and shoe heel with which it is used may be bodily removed from said support after the heel has been forced tightly againstthe sole, and means for holding said clamping members in clamped pohers together, and a device on the stationary clamping member that is adapted to be engaged with said shank after the clamping members have been drawn together, so as to hold said members in clamped position after they have been removed from the support on which the stationary clamping member is sustained during the, operation of clamping the heel to the sole.

'9'. An apparatus for clamping a shoe heel to the sole of a shoe mounted on a last, comprising a stationary and a movable clamping member, one of which members is adapted to engage the top liit portion of the heel and the other the last, a shank rigidly connected to said movable member and arranged at one side of the heel, and a means removably combined with said shank for moving it in a direction to cause said movable clampingmemher to exert pressure on the heel in a direction to force it tightly against the sole of the shoe.

10. An apparatus for clamping a shoe heel to the sole of a shoe mounted on a last, comprising a stationary and a movable clamping member, one of which members is adapted to engage the top lift portion of the heel and the other the last, a shank rigidly connected to said movable member and arranged at one side of the heel, a means removably combined with said shank for moving it in a direction to cause said movable clamping member to exert pressure on the heel in a direction to force it tightly against the sole of the shoe, and means for holding said movable clamping member in the position to which it has been moved so as to retain the pressure of the heel on the shoe sole.

ALBERT F. KOEPPE. 

